How to Find Good Restaurant Employees: Proven Hiring Tips
Staff keep quitting right when you need them most. You line up interviews, and half the people don’t show. The ones who do often leave after a few weeks, and you’re back to training all over again.
Every bad hire costs you money and drags down service, but job boards keep flooding you with the wrong applicants. That’s the daily grind for so many in the restaurant industry.
What you need is a hiring strategy that actually works.
In this article, you’ll learn how to find good restaurant employees, spot potential employees who fit, and build a team that lasts.
Start posting jobs today for just $1 and see the difference StaffedUp makes!
Why Hiring the Right Restaurant Employees Matters
Every restaurant owner has the same thought at some point: finding the right people makes or breaks the business. Your biggest challenge is figuring out what to look for in a restaurant employee.
Do you focus on speed, personality, experience, or all of the above? The truth is, a single right hire can lift the mood of an entire shift, while a bad choice can pull everything down.
Building a plan for hiring restaurant staff the right way is the difference between constant turnover and steady growth.
What Good Hires Bring to Your Restaurant
When you hire good employees, they shape the way your business runs and how guests feel about it. Examples of positive impact include:
- House staff who greet guests with energy and set the tone for the visit.
- Line cooks who keep food quality consistent, no matter how busy the kitchen gets.
- A front-of-house team that works smoothly with the kitchen so service runs without delays.
What Bad Hires Take Away
On the other side, the wrong hire creates problems that ripple through your entire operation. Common problems include:
- Training and payroll costs are lost when a new hire quits after a short time.
- Strong staff members are burning out because they cover for underperformers.
- Guests leave poor reviews when service slips or meals come out wrong.
Where to Recruit Restaurant Staff
You’ve probably posted the same ad on the same sites and ended up with the same weak applicants. Many restaurant owners run into the same problem over and over, and it wastes the time you don’t have.
To hire employees who actually show up, do the job, and stick around, you need better places to look, such as:
Posting on Online Job Boards and Hiring Sites
Hiring managers usually turn to online boards for instant reach. The downside is sorting through piles of weak applications.
Sites to try:
- Indeed has a huge audience and even offers free job postings for basic ads.
- Google for Jobs places your job listings directly in search results when people type “restaurant jobs near me.”
- ZipRecruiter spreads one ad across hundreds of boards for easier job posting.
- Culinary Agents is a trusted source for fine-dining restaurant groups and management hires.
- Craigslist brings in local culinary school hourly workers.
- LinkedIn works for leadership roles such as chefs or general managers.
Leveraging Social Media for Recruitment
Social platforms are more than places to post photos of food. Using Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, you reach younger workers, while LinkedIn connects you with managers and chefs.
Show off your team and workplace, not just do a job posting. Share short videos of your line cooks in action or a server talking about what they enjoy at work. When people see what it’s like behind the scenes, the right candidates feel drawn in.
Having paid ads in your social media recruitment even targets people in your city who have hospitality industry experience, and your postings will show up directly in their feed.
Using Employee Referrals
Employee referral programs are one of the easiest ways to bring in stronger candidates. Current employees know the job and are less likely to recommend people who will quit right away.
Benefits include:
- Faster hiring because referrals come pre-vetted.
- Better fit since your staff understands who matches the team dynamic.
- Higher retention because referred hires already know someone inside.
Simple rewards keep referrals flowing. Cash bonuses, gift cards, or extra time off motivate your team without making the process complicated. Keep it easy to submit a referral so staff can pass along names quickly.
StaffedUp: The Hiring Platform for Restaurants
Restaurant hiring software makes life easier for managers who are tired of multiple sites and stacks of resumes. What you need is software that makes posting jobs and screening candidates easier.
With StaffedUp, posting jobs to Indeed or Google for Jobs takes just a click. That saves you from logging in to multiple sites and repeating the same work.
What StaffedUp delivers:
- Pre-drafted job descriptions, application questions, and response templates so you can get started in minutes.
- Automated screening that filters out people who don’t meet your requirements.
- A central dashboard for applications, messages, and interview scheduling so hiring managers never miss a follow-up.
- Self-service interview scheduling where candidates pick times from your calendar.
- Custom recruitment pages that reflect your restaurant’s culture and brand.
- Built-in Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) screening to capture tax credits and put cash back into your business
The results speak for themselves. Restaurants using StaffedUp report seeing up to 8x more applicants, a 77% shorter time to hire, and as much as 45% lower turnover. That means more focus on delivering a great customer experience.
Your next great hire could cost less than your morning coffee. Post today for $1!
How to Attract Qualified Candidates
Don’t just aim to get applications. You need people who fit the role and want to stay. The way you describe the job, what you offer, and how you present your restaurant will decide who applies next.
Write Effective Job Descriptions
Writing job descriptions is your chance to show applicants why they should choose you over another restaurant down the street. Key points to cover:
- Use searchable titles that industry professionals look for.
- Start with a short summary showing how the role supports service and food quality.
- Outline daily duties with direct bullet points so applicants know what to expect.
- Separate must-have skills from bonus skills to widen your talent pool.
- Share pay details if tied to minimum wage or above, so applicants trust your posting.
Every line should keep you and your staff on the same page. An effective job postings respect applicants’ time and helps you cut labor costs by bringing in people who are more likely to stick.
Offer Competitive Pay and Benefits
Competitive pay is one of the first things applicants look at. If your rates fall below the market, qualified people won’t apply.
Steps to stay competitive when you negotiate salary:
- Research local averages and adjust wages based on role and experience.
- Regularly review pay so it stays fair across all positions.
- Add benefits like shift meals, health options, or bonus programs.
- Consider creative perks such as paid training programs or extra time off.
Pay is only one part of the package. Many applicants want a fair wage plus extras that show respect for their time.
Showcase Your Restaurant Culture
Culture often matters as much as pay. Applicants want to know what it feels like to be part of your team. Use a positive work culture as a selling point.
Ways to show it:
- Share short videos of staff members behind the scenes on social media.
- Post employee spotlights so job seekers see real faces and stories.
- Highlight team growth by showing how current employees moved up into new roles.
- Collect testimonials from staff who value being part of your team.
When you highlight culture, you attract people who already align with your values.
Practices for Screening and Interviewing Restaurant Employees
Interviews and screenings are where you learn who can really handle the job. The way you shape this step in the hiring process decides whether you end up with skilled staff or another short-term hire.
Qualities of a Good Restaurant Employee
A candidate may have years of experience, but without the right attitude, they won’t last. Screening job seekers should focus on traits that fit the fast pace of your restaurant.
Qualities to look for:
- Soft skills such as teamwork, patience, and problem-solving.
- Strong communication skills that keep orders and service running smoothly.
- A positive attitude that lifts the team during stressful shifts.
- Dependability and consistency, especially in back-of-house roles like line or prep cooks.
Front-of-house roles require people who stay calm with guests and can multitask. Back-of-house roles demand focus and precision. Higher-level roles like restaurant managers need leadership and decision-making skills that keep everyone on the same page.
Reading body language and reactions during the interview process helps you evaluate candidates beyond what they say.
Interview Questions to Ask
The questions you ask shape the quality of your hires. Good interview questions test both technical ability and behavior under stress.
For general roles, ask questions such as:
- “How do you handle a fast-paced shift?”
- “Describe a mistake you made at work and how you fixed it.”
- “What does hospitality mean to you?”
For front-of-house roles, focus on service and guest interaction. Ask how they would handle a long wait time or an allergy concern. For back-of-house, focus on consistency and standards, such as how they keep dishes uniform on busy nights.
When hiring for managers, probe leadership. Question how they’ve resolved conflicts or cut labor costs without hurting service. Their answers show if they can guide both staff and guest experience.
Encourage candidates to ask their own questions as well. Curious job seekers often share what they prioritize, such as growth opportunities or company culture.
Screening and Pre-Qualification Tools
Sorting applications by hand wastes hours. Screening tools and pre-qualification steps help you focus only on people who fit.
Options include:
- Applicant tracking systems (ATSs) that manage job postings, applications, and communication in one dashboard.
- Automated screening questions that remove people who don’t meet basic needs, like weekend availability.
- Pre-employment tests that measure personality traits, integrity, or problem-solving ability.
- Practical assessments such as trial shifts or role-playing service scenarios.
- Pre-screening questionnaires that confirm availability, certifications, or credibility.
StaffedUp takes this further by combining multiple tools in a single platform. Hiring managers can set filters, use branded application pages, and even display QR codes in the restaurant so candidates can apply instantly.
Automated communication keeps job seekers engaged, and the dashboard makes it easy to evaluate candidates quickly.
When you use pre-qualification tools, you spend less time chasing unfit applicants and more time focusing on people who are ready to contribute.
One dollar is all it takes to find better applicants and cut your turnover in half. Sign up today!
Retaining Restaurant Employees Once You Find Them
Employee retention saves money, improves service, and boosts employee satisfaction. Guests will feel the difference when your team isn’t turning over every few weeks.
Support starts with training programs that prepare new hires from day one. Pair them with hospitality professionals who can guide them, and use cross-training to keep staff engaged.
Other than that, minimum wage alone won’t hold people, so adjust wages to match your market and add simple benefits:
- Free meals or staff discounts
- Health coverage or retirement support
- Performance bonuses
End the Hiring Process Headache and Start Growing With StaffedUp
You post jobs, you wait, and half the people never even show up. The ones who do often leave after a few weeks, and you’re stuck right back where you started. Yup, you know the cycle.
StaffedUp takes the mess out of hiring so you stop wasting nights on texts, scattered resumes, and endless reposting.
With it, you can:
- Post once and see your job on Indeed, Google for Jobs, and more.
- Keep every application, message, and interview in a single place.
- Filter out the job seekers who can’t work weekends or won’t stick around.
- Text and schedule interviews in seconds.
Restaurants using StaffedUp see more applicants, faster hires, and turnover drops by nearly half. That means employee retention goes up, employee satisfaction improves, and hospitality professionals finally have time to train new staff without burning out.
FAQs About How to Find Good Restaurant Employees
What is the 30/30/30 rule for restaurants?
The 30/30/30 rule is a basic formula in the restaurant industry. It suggests keeping about 30% of revenue for food, 30% for labor, and 30% for overhead. For a new restaurant, this balance helps control labor costs and protect profit during busy seasons while still delivering solid food quality and service.
How to find an employee at a restaurant?
To hire quickly, go where candidates already are. Post on online boards, connect with local culinary schools, and pay attention when you see strong service staff, counter staff, or even server assistants in action.
Many owners use tools like StaffedUp to post once across multiple sites, screen applicants, and bring in more employees without drowning in paperwork. That makes it easier to spot great employees and move them through the process.
Why is it so hard to find restaurant workers?
High turnover, demanding hours, and the pace of quick-service restaurant jobs make it tough. Line cooks and a sous chef need skill and stamina, while front-line roles depend on strong communication and a positive attitude. Without a hiring strategy, attracting great talent feels like an uphill battle, which is why many restaurants struggle to hold onto their team.
